The Harn Museum

Interiors of the Harn Museum. Gainesville, Florida. January 2017.

Design of the Museum - When entering the Harn museum, the main hallway leads you to the front desk, which suggests a good sense of direction in the design of the building. The main hallway has glass windows built into it, which allow plenty of sunlight to come in. This not only offers a good transitional space from the green exterior of Gainesville into the artistic interior of the Harn, but it also helps light up the artworks.

Some of the exhibitions were very isolated and did not have a strong correlation between them. Sometimes this has to do with the budget of the Museum and the already owned collections. It is the curator's job to tie all the pieces together and make all the exhibitions work as one. In most cases I felt as if the division between one exhibit and the other was not clearly stated, therefore I was confused where one begun and the other ended. However there was a sense of adventure linked into it. Every wing suggested a new portal of thoughts and expression.

My favorite wing were the two last ones before exiting. I think they worked well together in terms of themes. There were textiles that reflected culture, oppression and misunderstanding. It slowly grew into oppression of race and black people community.

I particularly liked the interiors and the interactive spaces. After a while, walking in museums and Art Galleries becomes tiring. In most cases I would like to discuss the artworks with people and interactive spaces are the ideal places to share meaningful thoughts.

Claude Monet, "Champ d'avoine (Oat Field)," 1890, The Harn Museum

Medium of the Art / Technique of the Artist - I come from a very strong painting background and Monet has been one of the first painters to inspire me. Although I have mainly used watercolor, being able to analyse oil painting and the techniques used, is very helpful for future creations. The vivid and rich color of the oat immersed in the green, comes from a number of paint brush strokes. The use of cold blue in the back and the deep contrast of the corner tree, gives the painting a more vivid feeling to it. Through the use of color and the creation of an atmosphere Monet makes me connect with nature and appreciate it eve more. It is always a pleasure to be surrounded by artists that have inspired me during my life.

Art and Core Values - This artwork is a print on a female skin. Putting names and nationalities in the female body and denying their perception puts the idea of culture and representation in a very different spotlight. I am an Albanian student, who most of the times is associated with the prototype of her culture. Most of the time I am approached with issues of alcohol, drug and female trafficking. I am an Albanian but I am not the rate of drug use or alcohol addiction that my country represents. Cultural prototypes are often overrated and make it very difficult for people to express their opinions beyond cultural expectations. I am not my culture and she is not a Persian carpet. We are demanding that people see us for the opinions, passions and thoughts we affiliate ourselves with. There is more in every one of us than all the tags society puts on us.

Prints from different artists. Pictures taken in the Harn Museum. Gainesville, Florida. January 2017.

Art and the Good Life: Being the first female artist of the age of 17 in Albania makes one think about the opportunities offered between men and women. For a female to achieve happiness in life she should be able to fully express herself. However the art world is highly discriminatory towards females. My happiest moments in life have been the few days I got to enjoy my personal art exhibition and I can only imagine what it would be to deny other females that right. We all have a story to tell. The oppressed gender has even more stories to tell: that of revolutionary women; that of life. Without female artists we are only seeing less than half of the picture.